2025 may have been a quieter year in terms of miles flown, but it was anything but quiet when it came to earning and redeeming rewards. In fact, I racked up more points and miles than ever before which is fuel for future adventures. And even on the smaller trips I did take, those rewards paid off in a big way, saving me just under $4,000.

The highlights were three long weekends — Seattle with Rory, Nashville with Annie, and New York City to cheer on Brynn at her volleyball tournament. Each trip became a case study in how points, miles, and credit card perks can transform the travel budget.

In Seattle, I redeemed AAdvantage miles, gift cards, and Marriott points to cover flights and three nights at the Sheraton Grand, dropping my out‑of‑pocket cost to $840 on a trip worth over $2,000. Rory and I also enjoyed a first class flight to kick off the trip!

Nashville was an even bigger win as I saved 96% off the cash price thanks to a mix of travel credits, AAdvantage miles, Hilton points, and a free night certificate. That getaway cost me just $58 instead of $1,500. And while New York City delivered the smallest percentage savings, it still meant more than $1,000 off the retail price, primarily through Hilton redemptions.

On top of that, I spent nearly all of 2025 enjoying American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Pro elite status. Priority check‑in, complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats, and two free checked bags made every flight smoother. And those exit row seats with extra legroom are quickly becoming my favorite perk.

Looking ahead, 2026 is already shaping up to be busier year. Annie and I have Cabo San Lucas booked for February, with flights and hotel fully covered by points and miles. In March, we’ll head to Irvine, California to visit friends, with free flights and a $300 Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts credit on the hotel. And in June, we’re taking a family trip to Utah, staying at the Waldorf Astoria Park City on points, with free flights to match.

But before diving into what’s next, let’s take a look back at everything I accomplished in 2025.

Credit Cards

• Credit cards opened: 4 (2 for me, 2 for Annie)
• Sign-up bonus points earned: 450,000 points
• Referral bonus points earned: 15,000 points
• Retention bonus points earned: 0 points
• Everyday spending: 300,282 points

In 2025, Annie and I each added two new credit cards to our wallets. That’s a noticeable slowdown compared to our pace last year when we opened a whopping six cards. After such a big year last year, it felt natural to ease off a bit.

Even with the lighter pace, I’m really happy with the cards we picked up this year. A couple of them go beyond the initial sign-up bonuses and offer long-term value that fits our travel and rewards strategy. In fact, at least two of the four are cards I fully expect to keep for the long haul.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Card

In January, Annie jumped on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card thanks to a huge 90,000‑mile sign‑up bonus. That pushed her American AAdvantage balance past 200,000 miles, giving us plenty of options for some amazing trips ahead. On top of the miles, the card makes travel days easier with perks like a free checked bag, 25% off in‑flight purchases, and priority boarding.

Hilton Honors Surpass Card

Annie’s second new card in 2025 was the Hilton Honors Surpass Card, which was a referral worth 15,000 Hilton points. At the time, it came with a hefty 130,000‑point bonus plus a free night certificate after meeting the minimum spend. We put that certificate to good use with a stay at the New York Hilton Midtown in September.

But we didn’t stop there. By continuing to spend on the card, Annie hit the $15,000 annual threshold, which unlocked a second free night certificate. I didn’t mind putting the extra spend on this card since the card’s bonus categories are so strong. Cardholders earn 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, plus 4 points per dollar at U.S. online retailers. That second free night certificate is already earmarked for an upcoming stay at the Waldorf Astoria Park City.

This card is definitely a keeper in our lineup. Our plan is to reach the $15,000 threshold to pair Annie’s free night certificate with the annual certificate I get from the Hilton Honors Aspire Card. Together, that gives us two free nights at any Hilton property worldwide each year.

The Platinum Card from American Express

I’ve had my eye on the Amex Platinum for many years but never quite pulled the trigger. That is until June, when I finally applied for the Charles Schwab Platinum Card from American Express. There are a few different versions of Platinum (regular, Morgan Stanley and Schwab), and I went with Schwab for two big reasons.

First, as a Schwab brokerage customer, I get a $200 appreciation credit each year, which helps soften the blow of the $895 annual fee. Second, the Schwab version gives me a unique way to use my Amex Membership Rewards points. I can cash them out directly into my brokerage account. That’s a big deal because I’ve often struggled to find the best redemptions for Amex points. Instead of the standard, and pretty lousy, 0.6 cents per point cash‑out rate, Schwab lets cardholders redeem at 1.1 cents per point. It’s not the flashiest redemption, but it’s a flexible option that adds real value.

This card has quickly become a cornerstone of my long‑term strategy thanks to the sheer number of rebates it offers. In addition to the $200 Schwab credit, I’ve had no trouble putting the $200 airline credit, $200 Uber credit, $400 Resy credit, and $300 digital entertainment credit to good use. Taken together, those benefits more than offset the annual fee. On top of that, the card earns 5x points on travel purchases and comes with strong protections like trip cancellation and interruption coverage, trip delay reimbursement, and lost baggage reimbursement. It’s a package that makes the Platinum not just rewarding, but reassuring every time I travel.

Bank of America Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite

Once the Hawaiian–Alaska merger wrapped up, Bank of America rolled out a fresh lineup of co‑branded credit cards. I zeroed in on the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card because of the amazing sign-up bonus and the usefulness of Atmos Rewards points. After meeting the minimum spending requirement, I earned 100,000 Atmos Rewards points plus a 25,000-point companion award ticket to use within the next year.

Atmos Rewards points are valuable because they have a unique array of airline partners, a generous stopover policy, and attractive redemption rates. One partner sweet spot is redeeming points for short haul flights on American Airlines, where you can fly one-way in economy for as few as 4,500 points. The other redemption sweet spot is on long haul flights to Asia. You could fly from the U.S. west coast to Japan for 60,000 points in business class, with a stopover along the way.

Year	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Everyday Spending	300,282	289,222	219,252	198,067	195,233
Sign-up Bonuses	450,000	385,000	170,000	215,000	415,000
Referral Bonuses	15,000	15,000	0	0	20,000
Retention Bonuses	0	3,000	20,000	0	10,000
Total	765,282	692,222	409,252	413,067	640,233

All in all, I earned a total of 765,282 points on regular credit card spending and sign-up bonuses this year! That’s the highest annual amount I’ve earned since I started keeping track in 2018.

Trips: Flights and Hotel Stays

• Flights taken: 16 (4 business + 12 personal)
• Miles flown: 13,960
• Individual hotel stays: 8
• Total hotel nights: 16

2025 turned out to be a year of shorter getaways rather than grand vacations, but it was still packed with memorable highlights.

While none of these trips were “bucket list” blowouts, the savings were anything but small. By strategically using points and credits, I shaved just under $4,000 off the total cost of those three journeys. It’s a reminder that even modest travel can deliver outsized value when you play the rewards game right.

Year	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Miles Flown	13,960	12,790	13,314	11,023	1,634
Hotel Stays	8	10	11	7	3
Hotel Nights	16	20	22	19	7

Points Earned from flights and hotel stays:

• American Airlines: 21,537 miles
• United Airlines: 3,105 miles
• Hilton Hotels: 74,359 points
• Marriott: 24,633 points

Points Redeemed

In 2025, I redeemed an impressive 971,700 points and miles. Of that total, 326,700 went toward flights and 545,000 covered hotel stays, stretching my rewards across both air and lodging. I also cashed out 100,000 points directly into my Schwab brokerage account, turning points into actual money.

Airfare Redemptions

• 37,000 American Airlines miles for two airline tickets from Chicago to Seattle
• 20,000 American Airlines miles for two airline tickets from Nashville to Chicago
• 80,000 American Airlines miles for two first class roundtrip tickets between Chicago and Cabo San Lucas (for a trip in 2026)
• 30,000 Atmos Rewards points for four tickets from Chicago to Salt Lake City (for a trip in 2026)
• 90,000 American Airlines miles for four tickets from Salt Lake City to Chicago (for a trip in 2026)
• 7,700 United miles for one ticket to fly Brynn home from college
• 37,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for two tickets from Chicago to Orange County, CA (for a trip in 2026)
• 25,000 Atmos Rewards points for two tickets from Orange County, CA to Chicago (for a trip in 2026)

Hotel Redemptions

• 5,000 Marriott points to top off a free night certificate at the Sheraton Grand Seattle
• 85,000 Hilton points for a stay at the Hilton Nashville Downtown
• 95,000 Hilton points for a stay at the New York Hilton Midtown
• 220,000 Hilton points for a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Park City (for a trip in 2026)
• 140,000 World of Hyatt points for a hotel stay at The Cape in Cabo San Lucas (for a trip in 2026)

Charles Schwab

I took advantage of the Schwab Amex Platinum benefit and redeemed 100,000 Membership Rewards points in exchange for $1,100 deposited into my Schwab brokerage account.

Points Transferred

I transferred a total of 123,000 points to travel partners via Chase and American Express.

• 2,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air Canada
• 82,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt
• 39,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines

Air Canada

I transferred 2,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to my Air Canada account to keep those miles from expiring. I timed the transfer to coincide with a Chase promotion giving 20% more miles when transferring points to Air Canada.

Hyatt

I transferred 82,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt for a stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. I ended up cancelling that booking and used 77,000 of those points towards a stay at The Cape, A Thompson Hotel in Cabo San Lucas.

Hawaiian Airlines

For years, I overlooked Hawaiian Airlines as an American Express transfer partner. That changed when Hawaiian merged with Alaska Airlines, creating a pathway to move points between the two programs. Since Alaska Atmos Rewards points are especially valuable, I transferred 39,000 Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian before Amex closed the door on that option. Those miles have since landed safely in my Alaska Atmos Rewards account, ready for high‑value redemptions.

Promotional Activity

Promotions come in many forms, but the most common is earning bonus points, miles or cash back on certain purchases. Signing up for promotions is free, so I make it a point to register for every one I come across.

Points and miles earned via promotional activity in 2025:

• American Airlines: 1,100 miles
• United Airlines: 7,332 miles
• Hawaiian Airlines: 2,500 miles
• Alaska Airlines: 5,000 miles
• Hilton Hotels: 500 points
• Marriott: 26,500 points
• American Express Membership Rewards: 6,036 points

In total, I earned just under 49,000 bonus points/miles in 2025. Below you’ll find more detail on how I earned some of those promotional bonus points/miles.

United Airlines Miles

Throughout the year, United rolls out a handful of spending promos for Chase cardholders, usually offering extra miles on certain purchase categories. Whenever one of these promotions pops up, I shift my spending to the eligible card until I’ve maxed out the bonus. After that, it’s back to my usual lineup. By playing the game this way in 2025, I managed to scoop up more than 7,000 bonus miles on top of my regular earnings.

Hawaiian and Alaska Miles

Barclays rolled out a spending promo in 2025 that was too easy to pass up. By putting just $300 a month on the card for three consecutive months, I unlocked an extra 2,000 Hawaiian miles.

Additionally, when Alaska and Hawaiian announced their merger, Bank of America dangled an extra 5,000 miles for anyone who pre‑registered for the upcoming Alaska credit cards. I wasn’t certain at the time whether I’d actually apply, but since pre‑registering came with no commitment, I went ahead. That decision paid off because when I later applied for the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card, I collected the standard sign‑up bonus plus the extra 5,000 miles.

Marriott Bonvoy Points

Marriott rolled out several strong promotions in 2025. In one quarter, they offered 1,000 bonus points plus a bonus Elite Night Credit for every night stayed. Later in the year, another promo unlocked up to 22,500 bonus points (7,500 points for each of three stays after the initial qualifying stay).

Since Marriott reliably runs valuable promotions each year, I always make it a habit to register right away, even if I don’t have travel on the calendar. That way, if a trip does pop up during the promotional window, I’m already set to earn those extra points without missing out.

American Express Membership Rewards

Throughout the year, I made the most of Amex Offers, sometimes saving cash, other times stacking bonus points. One example is when I picked up a pair of On shoes and snagged an extra 10 points per dollar in the process. Small wins like these add up quickly when you’re playing the rewards game.

Surveys

Survey‑based earning has largely fallen off my radar. I used to earn around 20,000 points and miles per year, but I only achieved 2,636 miles in 2025. The only times I bothered were when a promotion dangled extra rewards like the occasional email offering bonus points or miles for completing three surveys within two weeks. But the reality is, I just don’t have the time to grind through surveys anymore, and the payoff isn’t worth it. The points and miles earned are simply too small to justify the effort.

Shopping and Dining Portals

Shopping and dining portals are another easy way to earn extra points and miles.

Shopping portals are very easy to use. You simply sign up for each portal using your loyalty account number. When you’re ready to shop, you click through the portal to a merchant’s website before making your purchase. The portal will track your purchase and award you the appropriate amount of points, miles or cash back.

In exchange for shopping portals directing traffic to a merchant websites, the portals get a commission from those merchants. The portals pass along some of that commission to you in the form of points, miles or cash back.

I mainly used the American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping portal for my online shopping because it helps me achieve elite status with the airline. I was able to rack up over 44,000 American AAdvantage miles just from their shopping portal. And for my journey to elite status, I also received the same amount of Loyalty points. The elite status year ends on February 28, 2026 and I’ve already earned American AAdvantage Platinum status through March 31, 2027. Without the shopping portal, I’d have absolutely zero chance of earning any status with American Airlines!

With dining portals, any restaurant participating with the Rewards Network will earn bonus points or miles. You must register your credit cards before dining, and then points/miles will accumulate automatically.

Points and miles earned via shopping and dining portals in 2025:

• American Airlines: 54,627 miles
• United Airlines: 187 miles
• Atmos Rewards: 2,450 points
• American Express Membership Rewards (via Rakuten): 3,964 points

Bottom Line

Looking ahead, 2026 already promises more adventure. With Cabo, Irvine, and Park City on the calendar, all booked with points, miles, and credits, I’m thrilled about the trips lined up so far and hopeful a few more will join the agenda. At the same time, I’m content to keep building my balances, knowing each redemption fuels the next journey. Annie and I are even eyeing a potential trip to Asia in the first half of 2027, where the goal is simple — free flights and hotel, courtesy of smart rewards strategy.